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Taste Test: Our Guide to the Best Products at the Supermarket

There are tens of thousands of products on supermarket shelves; let us help you pick the best—in both taste and nutrition. After booting out foods that don't fit our nutrition standards, products are served to a Cooking Light staff tasting panel for blind taste tests. Here are the winning products in a variety of categories.

Taste Test: The Best Light Beers

Mass-marketed light beer horrifies some of the microbrew purists, but we were excited to do a blind tasting to see which light beers, if any, retained enough flavor and body to satisfy after having some of their carbs removed. This does save calories: Regular beer contains about 150 calories in 12 ounces, while light versions range from ultralight 55-calorie beers to moderately light versions with up to 125 calories. None of these match the body or flavor of your average brew-pub lager, but we did find four that we're happy to serve when the goal is icy, beery, light refreshment on a sizzling summer day.

BEST ULTRALIGHT:Beck's Premier Light, $9 (6-pack bottled)
This ultralight import had the lowest alcohol content of any beer we tried. But while its body was light and smooth, it still had character—a rich, nutty aroma and a stronger-than-expected finish. STATS: 64 calories, 3.9g carbs, 2.3% ABV

BEST OVERALL:Yuengling Light Lager, $5.47 (6-pack bottled)
The contender from America's oldest brewery had a light amber color that gave way to a medium body with depth and slight hoppy notes, proving light doesn't have to mean dull. STATS: 99 calories, 8.5g carbs, 3.5% ABV